Double-deck railway car structure



July 26, 1960 A. G. DEAN DOUBLE-DECK RAILWAY CAR STRUCTURE July 26, 1960 A. G. DEAN DOUBLE-DECK RAILWAY CAR STRUCTURE 10 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 28, 1955 W INVENTOR l0 Sheets-Sheet 4 A. G. DEAN DOUBLE-DECK RAILWAY CAR STRUCTURE July 26, 1960 Filed Jan. 28, 1955 J- INVENTOR I i Alberi Cr. Deck.

BY l( f AGENT July 26, 1960 A. G. DEAN DOUBLE-DECK RAILWAY cAR STRUCTURE 10 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 28, 1955 IG. ii

July 26, 1960 A. G. DEAN 2,946,295

DOUBLE-DECK RAILWAY CAR STRUCTURE Filed Jan; 28, 1955 1o sheets-sheet e AGENT July 26, 1960 A. G. DEAN DOUBLE-DECK RAILWAY CAR STRUCTURE 10 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Jan. 28, 1955 l u 0 0000000000 7 (7. i oooooooooo on O m oo 7. n A f u. 1 B lnllsl INVENTOR Albert CJ. Dean.. Y/fm// AG1-:Nr

July 26, 1960 A. G. DEAN 2,946,295

DouLEmEcx RAILWAY CAR STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 2S, 1955 lo sheetsheet 8 l :l 2 E E. in

a T j D f L1A a Q I s* INVENTORv l. t Tv CrDenm...

July 26, 1960 A. G. DEAN DOUBLE-DECK RAILWAY CAR STRUCTURE l0 Sheets-Sheet 9 HNEU Filed Jan. 28, 1955 INVENTOR Alberl' CT. Daan,

AGENT July 26,1960 A. G. DEAN` 2,946,295

DOUBLE-DECK RAILWAY CAR STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 28, 1955 10 Sheets-Sheet 10 INVENTOR Alberi Cr. Daqm,

AGENT- lower floor area, the section being taken along' line 2%2 of Fig. l;

DOUBLE-DECK RAILWAY CAR STRUCTURE The invention is particularly aimed at the type of oars which are disciosed in Patent 2,633,090, issued March 31, 1953, to G. K. Murphy, for Full-Length Dome or Double-Deck Railway Car with Normal-Height End Doors, and in co-pending application Serial No. 274,423

of Joseph F. Clary for Double-Deck Railway Train and l Car, tiled March l, 1952, now U.S. Patent 2,811,932 granted Nov. 5, 1957.

While the first said patent discloses a car having a short double-deck section restricted to a small portion of the length between the supporting trucks, the present invention deals particularly with double-deck cars having a 'long or full-length dome section extending over and between the truck supports and having a long lower floor or deck extending through approximately the entire length between the truck supports. The unusual length of this lower floor area makes it didi-cult to use the entire structure of aforesaid Patent 2,589,997 in which stronger side sills Work in cooperation with the center sills. Furthermore, the center sill in the double-deck regions should be considerably lower than in said patent to provide the necessary head room in the lower door area, which would increase the ioad in the side sills of the former patent still further.

According to this invention it is proposed to bifurcate the center sill structure in the double-deck region into one branch above and one branch below the lower iloor area. The upper branch, that is the branch above the lower oor deck area, is preferably arranged at about the level of the upper-deck or dome floor. This upper branch may be arranged in the region and actuaily form structure of the center aisle of the upper deck, or it may also be horizontaily bifurcated and its branches be arranged or formed by the upper part of the body side walls.

For transferring the stresses from the end regions above the supporting trucks into the mid-region, it is contemplated according to the invention to use vertical beams or columns at the junctures of the end center sills and the bifurcated mid-region center sill structures.

The aforesaid and further features, objects and advantages as well as details of the invention are fully disclosed in the attached drawing of several embodiments and in the following description thereof.

In the drawing: y

Fig. l is a small scale, diagrammatic, side elevation of one embodiment of a full-length dome car with normal level passage and staircases in the end regions;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic sectional plan View of the substantially Fig. 3' is a horizontal diagrammatic sectional plan View 2,946,295 Patented July 26, 1960 frice Fig. 9is a diagrammatic sectional plan vview similar to Fig. 8, showing by the shadedvareas the main stress transmitting elements in the upper deck' region, the section being taken substantially along line 9-9 of Fig. 6;

Fig. l0 isa transverse elevation and section along lines 1104-10 of Fig. 6 showing the construction of one of the bulkheads at the meeting of end center sill and middle center sill structure;

Figs. 11, l2 and 13 are fragmentary longitudinal ve tical sections along the correspondingly numbered section lines of Fig. 10 and covering approximately the region surrounded by dot-and-dash lines 11 in Fig. 6;

Figs. 14, 15 and 16 are horizontal fragmentary sections along the correspondingly numbered section lines of Figs.

Figs. 17 and 18 are fragmentary transverse vertical sections along the correspondingly numbered section lines of Figs. 8 and l1;

Fig. 19 is a diagrammatic side elevation, similar to Fig. l, of another embodiment of the invention in its application to a double-deck car having a high-level passage at one end, a longitudinal :aisle at the level of the upper floor, and `a middle staircase connecting the lowerfloor and the upper door;

Fig. 20 is a diagrammatic sectional plan View of the lower deck region, the section being taken substantially along line 20-2tl of Fig. 19;

Fig. 21 is a diagrammatic sectional plan View of the upper deck region, the section being taken substantially along line 21-21 of Fig. 19;

Fig. 22 is a diagrammatic longitudinal vertical section through the middle of the car shown in Figs. 19-2l;

Fig. 23 is a diagrammatic plan View of the longitudinal mid-region of the car shown in Figs. 19422, indicating by the shading main stress-transmitting elements;

Fig. 24 is a diagrammatic perspective of the main center siil structural elements of the car shown in Figs. 19-23; and

Fig. 25 is a diagrammatic transverse section along line 25-25 of Fig. 22.

The embodiment of the invention as applied to a fulllength dome car shown in Figs. 1-19, is supported at its ends by trucks l indicated diagrammatically by their wheels. Floor portions or decks 2, in the region over and adjacent the trucks, are of normal floor height of standard single-deck passenger cars. A passage or communicating door opening 3 in each end wall 4 isof standard dimension and location so as to line up with corresponding doors in ordinary single-deck passenger cars and leads to a vestibule 5.

A low-level oor or deck 6 is restricted to the space between the end trucks 1 and is at a level substantially below the level of the end deck 2. An upper deck or high-level iloor 7 extends substantially the full length of the car, more accurately, it extends between the inner partition walls 8 of the vestibules 5 (Fig. 2).

Decks 6 and 7 are spaced full standing heightfrom each other so that deck 6 may be used forl any desired purpose-revenue passenger space, vclub room, kitchen, sleeping facilities, rest rooms, etc.

'verse partitions 10. Aisles 11 and stairways 12 connect decks 6, 7 with the end vestibules 5.

The side walls 13 have window openings 14, and the transversely arched roof 15 has large curved side windows 16 and end windshields 17. Side doors '18 lead to vestii bu-le 5. Other openings 19 are provided in the walls of theA compartments between end decks 2 and upper v deck 7.

The general arrangement is, as evident, the same as disclosed in the aforesaid Patent 2,633,090, Murphy.

The car body is supported on the end trucks 1 by cen- ,ter plates (not shown) of any known or otherwise appropriate design, which center plates engage end under- .frames 20. The end underfrarnes 20 each comprise a center sill 21 extending from the butler and coupler locations at 22 to about partition wall 10, and have trans- `rnents, as is customary for other types of end underframes.

End center sills 21 and columns 24 are prefverably hollow or closed box sectional structures of great strength and rigidity and they are rigidly connected with each other so as to transmit stresses from sill to column and vice versa.

The inboard ends of the end center sills 21 are overlappingly structurally connected with a shallow center sill 25 extending along the underside of lower deck 6 and supporting the latter together with appropriate transverse beams 26, diagrammatically shown in Fig. 6.

The columns 24 are structurally connected and form part of the walls 10 which in effect are constituted as stress-transmitting bulkheads by means of a framework 27 and shear panels 28. These bulkheads extend downwardly below the middle center sill portion 25 (Figs. l0 and 1l) and are structurally connected with the side walls 13 (Figs. l0 and 14-16).

The end underfrarne 20 is reinforced by a shear panel 29 which constitutes the support for the end lloors 2 (Figs. 11-13 and 17). The lower floor 6 is supported and reinforced by center sill 25 and shear panel 30; shear panel 3i) structurally connects center sill 25 with the side walls i3 (Figs. 10, ll-l3 and 18).

The side walls 13 are also one of the main load-transmitting elements of the car body, as disclosed more in detail in the aforesaid Patent 2,589,997. The side wall has vertical posts 31 and vertically spaced longitudinal chords 32, 33, 34 and 35. Chord 32 extends along the lower margin of the side wall between the truck supports. Chord 33 extends over the full length of the car just below the window openings 14. Chord 34 extends along the upper margin of the windows 14, and chord 35 extends along the meeting region between side wall and roof. The two lower chords 32, 33 form, together with shear panel 36 and vertical braces or post extensions 37, a side sill of great height and corresponding strength which extends over the entire length of the car between the supporting trucks 1.

The upper ends of the columns 24 and bulkheads 10 are structurally connected with the supporting structure 38 of upper deck '7 and walls 39, 40 of the downwardly recessed aisle 9, which elements are formed respectively as shear panels and U-section girders so as to constitute stress-transmitting elements.

The structures 39, 40, alone or with structure 33 and/ or tween the windows 14 and 16, constitute an upper branch `parts of the side walls 13 and their chords 34, 35 beof the complete center sill structure. The lower branch of the center sill is formed by center sill portion 25, alone or with lower deck floor structure 30 and! or the lower side sill structures 32, 33, 36, 37.

Stresses and loads from the end center sills 21 are distributed through columns 24 between the two middle center sill branches. Bulkheads 10 and other transverse oor and beam structures assist in the distribution of the stresses concentrated at the truck supports not only into 'the two branches of the middle center sill portions but also into the side walls.

This distribution of the stresses from the end center sills 21 is diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 7, while Fig. 9 diagrammatically illustrates the distribution from columns 24 and bulkheads 10 into upper center sill portions 39, 40 and side walls 13.

Details of the described structural elements are shown in the drawing but are believed not to call for further description as being self-explanatory, particularly in view of the detailed disclosure of such features in Patent 2,589,997, repeatedly referred to hereinbefore.

It should be noted that the walls 39, 40 of the upper center aisle, which form the upper branch of the middle center sill portion, extend uninterruptedly between points located on the outboard sides of the columns 24 so that these walls together constitute a very etfective beam of great load supporting ability.

The situation for the car illustrated in Figs. 19-25 is somewhat more difficult and requires adjustments and modiiications of the inventive principle on account of certain differences, outlined below, as compared with the lirst embodiment.

In the second embodiment corresponding parts are provided with the same numerals. It should, however, be noted that the general outlay of the car corresponds to the aforesaid co-pending application Serial No. 274,423,

Clary, and has at one end a high-level passage door 41, at

the other end a central staircase 42, middle entrance doors 43, and a middle staircase 44 from the low-level floor 6 to the high-level iloor 7.

This middle staircase 44 cuts into one of the side walls 40 of the downwardly oiset center aisle thereby destroying its function as a continuous longitudinal beam extending uninterruptedly between the vertical columns 24. So as to compensate for this weakening, the side wall is in and adjacent the region of the staircase 44 reinforced, such as by longitudinal beam 45, and stresses are transmitted into the reinforced side wall portion and thereby around the staircase by appropriate structures such as by the bulkheads 10 which transfer a large part of the stresses into the side walls at a distance from the staircase,` and/ or by the floor structures 38 adjoining the center aisle.

vThis structure, when applied to both sides of the car, represents the principle diagrammatically shown by the perspective of Fig. 24, in which the stresses from the end center sills 21 are distributed into the lower center sill Z5 and columns 24 and in which the stresses from the upper ends of the columns 24 are further bifurcated and distributed into two transversely spaced structures 46 by transverse elements 47.

The distribution, direction and division of stresses is indicated in some of the diagrammatic gures by small, unnumbered arrows.

The invention is not restricted to the illustrated and described embodiments but is susceptible to modications and to adaptations yfor meeting specific conditions.

In this connection it will be noted that the vertical columns need not be arranged at the extreme inboard end of the end center sills but may be spaced therefrom in outboard direction; that lower middle center sill 25 need not be directly connected with the end center sills 21 or the illustrated downward extensions thereof but may be spaced from them and attached to downward extensions of the vertical columns; and that the term center sill should be understood in a broad sense so as to include `for instance floors and said low-level floor; end center sills extending over and substantially restricted to said truck locations; a pair of vertical center column structures, one each being stress-transmittingly and rigidly connected with one of said end center sills near the junctures of said normal-level loors and said lower compartment, said column structures extending adjacent the high-level and the low-level oors; a pair of stress-transmitting longitudinal structures extending between the inner ends of said end center sills, one of said structures being arranged substantially at the level of said low-level floor and inserted between the lower ends of said center column structures and the other one of said longitudinal structures being inserted between the upper ends of said center column structures and arranged substantially at the level of said high-level oor and means rigidly connecting said longitudinal structures to the ends of said center column structures.

2. A railway car body according to claim 1 having transverse vertical bulkheads structurally associated with said column structures and stress-transmittingly connected with adjoining longitudinal stress-transmitting elements, that is, body side walls, a high-level lloor structure, and a low-level floor structure.

3. A railway car body according to claim 1 in which a lower middle center sill extends between and stresstransmittingly interconnects the inner ends of said end center sills and is associated with said low-level oor, said lower middle center sill forming part of one of said stresstransmitting longitudinal structures.

4. A railway car body according to claim 1 having a downwardly recessed longitudinal center aisle in said upper compartment, the walls of said aisle being formed as a U-section beam, said beam forming part of one of said stress-transmitting longitudinal structures, means structurally connecting said beam with the upper ends of said vertical center column structures.

5. A railway car body according to claim l having said upper compartment provided with a downwardly recessed center aisle; the walls of said aisle being formed as a stresstransmitting longitudinal beam and at least partly interrupted in a mid-region, said beam forming part of one of said stress-transmitting longitudinal structures; and means transmitting the stresses from the longitudinal beam laterally outwardly around said interruption.

6. A railway car body according to claim 1 comprising a downwardly recessed center aisle on said high-level door; the walls of said aisle being formed as a stress-transmitting longitudinal beam, said aisle walls being at least partly interrupted in a mid-region by a middle staircase connecting the lower and the upper compartments, said beam forming part of one of said stress-transmitting longitudinal structures; and means transmitting the stresses from the longitudinal beam laterally outwardly around said interruption.

7. A railway car body according to claim 1 having transverse elements structurally associated with the upper ends of said vertical column structures and stress-transmittingly connected with adjoining longitudinal beam structures, the latter extending longitudinally between said column structures and being arranged along the upper regions of the body side walls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 690,207 Vanderbilt Dec. 31, 1901 859,916 Buhoup July 16, 1907 872,044 lBecker .Q Nov. 26, 1907 1,062,731 Ilosson May 27, 1913 1,108,634 Spangler Aug. 25, 1914 2,223,667 Mussey Dec. 3, 1940 2,257,084 IDean Sept. 23, 1941 2,602,405 Johansson July 8, 1952 2,612,121 Kuhler et al. Sept. 30, 1952 

